32 Days to Better

32 days until December 1st, which will officially end the Money Armageddon.

Still in "thrift is the only option" mode.

Our meal plan this week consists of breakfast foods (just because we have tons of that on hand), curried chickpeas, tacos and nachos, other canned convenience foods.

At Mass last night, our parish pitched the plea for pledges for a major campus improvement. To the requested tune of $20K spread over five years. And we've been invited to the parish Christmas dinner at $50/person. Wow. When I am in a better place financially, I am thinking that my money might make more of a difference in places where they need clean drinking water and other rudimentary things. My perspective on money is changing.

Well, I may just not post until December 1st. I've stopped tracking money since it was depressing. I'm simply monitoring success by how much money we have left before payday.

You find ( rightly, I'm sure)the money situation depressing, but reading your blog is incredibly inspiring for how very well you've managed.
On a side note, if there's a chance any of you like lentil soup, Melissa Clark's lentil soup with lemon from the New York Times is very few ingredients and company tasty. (Made with red lentils so comes out a cheerful yellow color.)

I can commiserate with the feeling to just not post anything financial until things seem better. But try to log on before then, sometimes treading is the best we can do and your friends don't want to lose touch with you.

I am with you on the pledges and money requests. A few years ago my church (from my childhood through adulthood) decided to move out of their building which was paid for and buy a warehouse and spend millions to make it a mega church. We got a very slick proposal suggesting for three years you either don't retire and give the church the extra money, or take another job and give them the extra money or give them stocks or property or whatever to make it possible. I couldn't stomach it. Originally before the warehouse and before the proposal, it was said that they would save money for 5 years to use for a new campus and building and then wham. they found this building that was just "perfect." That building had been empty for quite awhile, so I doubt if it was going anywhere. Anyway, having worked in the inner city schools of my hometown, I thought any extra money would be better spent going to organizations that fed the poor and helped the homeless. We changed churches. It broke my heart, but I felt it was the right thing to do.